A lot of people are thinking it, but former Google employee, Gmail creator, and FriendFeed founder Paul Buchheit has come right out and said it. On his FriendFeed page, Mr. Buchheit has levied some harsh judgements on Google’s netbook-centric Chrome OS. Here are just a few of his thoughts:

Prediction: Chrome OS will be killed next year (or “merged” with Android).

I was thinking, “is this too obvious to even state?”, but then I see people taking Chrome OS seriously, and Google is even shipping devices for some reason.

Chrome OS has no purpose that isn’t better served by Android (perhaps with a few mods to support a non-touch display).

It is still unclear how Android and Chrome OS will peacefully co-exist after the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 comes out in 2011, what the genesis of Chrome OS looks like, and what the public will gravitate towards. We’re interested to hear your thoughts concerning the Chrome OS vs. Android debate. What do you think? Too similar? Or is Google one step ahead of the technology pundits?

We just said adéu to our friendly FedEx delivery person and ripped into our care package sent by Google. On first glance, the Google Cr-48 Chrome laptop looks very similar to Apple’s black MacBook. The screen is 12.1-inches, the entire computer is done up in a soft-touch rubberized finish, and — while it’s a bit thick (we’re used to using a MacBook Air) — we have had some fun typing on the well thought out (and well spaced) keyboard. Here are our first impressions:

We can’t get over how instant this thing is — it boots and wakes from sleep literally in one second max!

The soft-touch rubber finish, which at first didn’t sound very appealing, works really well on this super stealth, never-being-released notebook.

This is more of a preference, but we’d take a glossy display over the matte one on here any day… although the matte finished does fit into the anti-gloss vibe of the machine.

We can’t begin to explain how great of a feeling it is to have Verizon cellular support built in and how simple and easy the set up process is. Activating our 100MB/mo free account was extremely simple. One or two more steps than signing up for AT&T’s prepaid iPad plans — very solid.

Switching between open windows (think Spaces on a Mac with less jazz) is incredibly quick.

It’s so hard to get used to the fact that everything is browser-based, but it all has seemed to work very well for us so far.

Guest accounts rock!

All of our Google Chrome extensions and bookmarks were transferred over instantly for us — super cool.

The speed of the machine, in general, is obviously slower than we’d like and for a 12-inch (read: large) computer. But again, this isn’t meant to be released to the general public.

We had some wonkiness with the upper part of the LCD screen when we first turned it on, but we’re thinking that might have been due to the extreme temperatures this poor sucker had to endure on its journey to us this morning.

The trackpad hates us. It’s incredibly annoying and difficult to use. First off, it feels cheap, and second, unless you are scrolling with two fingers, don’t even try and have more than one finger at a time on here.

We’re cranking away and exploring Google’s first Chrome OS laptop and we will be sure to report back with more findings over the next couple days. In the meantime, hit up our hands-on gallery while we go make some insanely hot hot-chocolate!

One of our Sprint sources just shot us over some internal slides on a couple of the company’s upcoming product launches. While the BlackBerry Style 9670 was recently launched on October 31st, it seems RIM and Sprint just can’t wait to move these bad boys, as starting November 26th, the BlackBerry Style will be available in a buy one get one free promotion. According to the slide, it seems that there isn’t a limit on the amount of free additional BlackBerry Styles you can purchase as long as you are activating all new lines or two year agreements.

Switching to the Sanyo Taho, it’s a previously unheard of rugged 3G handset which meet military grade specifications. It’s due to launch on December 9th for $99.99 and packs a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, MP3 player, expandable microSD slot and more. If you’re in an Android kind of mood and feeling crazy, the LG Optimus S in purple is still set for November 21st launch as had been previously reported.

Dell’s Inspiron 11z netbook is also on tap for a November 14th release and clocks in at $149.99 at the register. If that’s too much for your pockets, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (1012) is available for free on the same date. We have all the product information images loaded up in our gallery ready to go for your enjoyment.

Rumor mongering website DigiTimes is reporting that Google and its initial manufacturing partner Inventec could begin shipping Chrome OS netbook as early as this month. The report also details the manufacturers Acer and HP will be releasing their Chrome OS offerings in December. “The Google Chrome notebook will feature an ARM-based platform and will not be selling through retail channels,” reports DigiTimes. The Taiwanese site has an extremely mixed record when it comes to product prognostications and predictions. Hit the read link to check out the original article. More →

Recently, AT&T announced new Pay-As-You-Go international data packages for netbook and laptop users. The new, 30-day plans start at 20MB for $24.99 and go all the way up to 200MB for $199.99. “Data sessions may be purchased using a credit card or a debit card. Customers can also bill the charges to their wireless bill provided the postpaid wireless account has been active more than 90 days and has no past due charges,” reads the press release. The company will also allow users to schedule when the 30-day pass begins to take effect. The four announced plans are as follows:

DataConnect Pass Global 20MB for $24.99

DataConnect Pass Global 50MB for $59.99

DataConnect Pass Global 100MB for $119.99

DataConnect Pass Global 200MB for $199.99

Although expensive, it seems like a pretty good way to prevent scary international overages. Hit the jump for the full press release. More →

Today, T-Mobile announced that they’re not slowing down on their continued expansion of HSPA+ roll outs. The Magenta carrier is on track and aims to cover over 185 million people by the end of the year in more than 100 metropolitan markets. If you’re living in an HSPA+ coverage area, you’ll be pleased to know that 16 T-Mobile 3G devices can now take advantage of the increased speeds. Looking for some hardware news? The webConnect Rocket USB stick will get a broader roll out in the form of the Rocket 2.0 with swivel form factor which we nailed last week. And finally, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook will start to become available in retail stores which you can pair with that shiny new Rocket 2.0, also just like we called. Full list of latest HSPA+ lit up cities after the break! More →

We just received a heads up that T-Mobile will be rolling out some HSPA+ insanity speeds to the following markets on July 21st:

Austin, TX

Baltimore, MD

Birmingham, AL

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland, OH

Columbus, OH

El Paso, TX

Ft. Worth, TX

Hawaii, HI

Indianapolis, IN

Jacksonville, FL

Kansas City, MO

Louisville, TN

Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis, MN

Portland, OR

San Antonio, TX

Washington, D.C.

Wichita, KS

Additionally, T-Mobile will be launching the new webConnect Rocket 2.0 USB data stick on July 21st with an “enhanced design” that swivels, you know, so you don’t accidentally snap the thing when it’s plugged in. Lastly, we’ve been told T-Mobile will start offering a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook in select HSPA+ markets. However, it seems as if there isn’t 3G connectivity built-in, and you’ll need to use the webConnect Rocket to get your mobile data fix. Give me a moment to process that. Sorry, my head just exploded.

We gave you advance warning that the Samsung N150 was slated to land with Verizon Wireless and now it has finally arrived. Starting today, you can snag a a Sammy netbook with an Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz processor,10.1 inch 1024×600 LED backlit display, 1GB DDR2 memory, Intel GMA3150 graphics, 160GB HDD, Bluetooth 2.1, Windows 7 Starter, and most importantly, integrated 3G (CDMA/1X/EV-DO Rev. A: 800/1900 MHz; UMTS/HSPA: 850/1900/2100 MHz; GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) with SIM support for international travelling. As always, a mobile broadband plan is required for the N150 and will set you back $60/month for a 5GB, $40/month for 250MB, or between $15-50 for a prepaid plan. The N150 can be purchased fromVerizon Wireless retail stores for $49.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement or online for a promotional price of $29.99 fter a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. More →

Today, HP announced that it has officially completed the acquisition of Palm. The former Palm business unit will continue with webOS development under the leadership of Jon Rubenstein who will report directly to Todd Bradley, the executive vice president of HP’s Personal Systems Group. Look for the new HP/Palm to further develop its webOS smartphone lineup as well as extend the mobile platform to slate PCs and netbooks. Anyone excited for the future of webOS now that it has some big guns behind it? More →

We have got our hands on some Verizon Wireless docs today, and they range from pricing changes on handsets, to new netbooks, to new handset launches. First up on chopping block is the Samsung N150 netbook which will officially debut on July 8th. If that’s not good enough, it will also launch in Best Buy stores starting tomorrow, ahead of Verizon Retail channel availability. If you’re not familiar, the Samsung N150 netbook comes with a 1.66GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 10.1″ display, 160GB HD, Bluetooth, Windows 7 Starter, and is a Global netbook. We’re not sure on pricing, but we’d wager it won’t break the bank. Make sure to check out the full leaked document in our gallery!

According to market research firm IDC, 2010 will see shipments of PCs rebound in 2010 and erase the terrible sales figures seen in 2009. Overall sales are expected to rise 19.8% YoY with a total of 354.8 million units shipped. Notebook sales are anticipated to be the largest contributor to higher sales with growth targeted at 28.6% versus the 8.2% of desktops. As for netbooks, previously said by many to be the next big thing in personal computing, IDC believes that their sales will max out at 12% before tapering off. Why? Because everyone seems to want a tablet instead.

Retrevo has a new study out that suggests 1 in 3 potential U.S. netbook buyers opted for the iPad as opposed to the keyboarded alternative. The study — whose “sample size was over 1,000 [and] distributed across gender, age, income and location in the United States” — asked: “Did you hold off on buying a netbook after the iPad was announced in January?” Thirty percent of those 1,000 respondents answered: “Yes. And I bought an iPad.” Of those who were contemplating a netbook or iPad, 78% said they were leaning towards an iPad, while the remaining 22% said they were leaning more towards a netbook. The study is obviously not definitive. A 1,000 person sample is enough to be statistically significant; however, questions about how many of the respondents already own a laptop or smartphone, or how many of these respondents (if any) plan to use the iPad or netbook as a primary computing device were not asked — these factors would, undoubtedly affect a respondents answer. More →

Back in January, Acer’s president of IT Products division Jim Wong revealed that Acer was shooting to become the first manufacturer to produce a Chrome OS powered device. According to the latest rumor from Venture Beat, Acer will be delivering on that promise at the upcoming Computex Taipei trade show by debuting these aforementioned Chrome OS devices. Details are sparse on the nature of these devices, but the initial disclosure from Wong suggests that one may be a netbook and the other may be a tablet. If this early June unveiling comes to fruition, let’s hope that during the intervening months of product development Acer has taken its design cues from Apple and not FoleoBlackBerry. More →